


Leave Me

by Harper44



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Angst, Coming Out, Confessions, Hopeful Ending, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Pain, Rejection, prompted, really bad angst before the end through
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-09
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-14 21:00:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29302326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Harper44/pseuds/Harper44
Summary: Rhett rejects Link when they're young, but eventually he comes around and asks for forgiveness.
Relationships: Rhett McLaughlin & Link Neal, Rhett McLaughlin/Link Neal
Comments: 15
Kudos: 36





	1. Part 1

Link has been jittery and nervous all day and it’s been putting Rhett on edge. As they pull up to his house, the smaller boy takes a deep breath and says, “Come in for a minute? I have something to tell you.”

Rhett agrees readily, taking the keys out of the ignition and striding up to the front door. In uneasy silence, he settles on the couch and listens to Link flit around in the kitchen. He doesn’t come back with the product of all the noise he was making, only his residual anxiety. Propping his ankle on his knee, Rhett leans back and says, “Take a deep breath, man, surely it’s not that bad.”

He receives a doubtful glance, but Link does take a deep breath. “I know you’re technically still deciding about college, but I’m pretty sure I’ve convinced you to come to NC State.” They share a smile. “So, before we decide on rooming and get into all that, I have to tell you something.”

As Link fidgets with his fingers, Rhett forces himself not to tell him to spit it out. “I’m-” Link sighs in frustration and then says just above a whisper, “I’m gay, Rhett.” They make eye contact and Link swallows, “And I’m in love with you.”

The room crashes down around him, leaving his ears ringing and making the ground tilt under his feet. “No,” Rhett breathes, shaking his head, trying to process, “No, I can’t… I’ll… I got scholarships to Stanford, I’ll go there.” 

Link’s eyes widen, panic taking over his expression, “No, Rhett, please, I can’t pay for that. Nothing has to change!” Rhett turns away from his best friend, unable and unwilling to watch him crumble. His face falls into his hands, anger and terror and shame washing through him in waves. “Rhett, please, please don’t go to Stanford. I didn’t really mean it.”

He knows Link is crying as he fights back tears of his own, rubbing his eyes as he shakes his head. The other boy grabs his arm and Rhett doesn’t stop him, torn between comfort and distance. “It’s not that serious, I’ll still be with girls, you know? Rhett, I didn’t…” Link clutches at his bicep, sobs wracking his small body and shattering Rhett to his very core. He still doesn’t look up, not knowing what would happen if he did. 

“We don’t even have to room together, just please don’t leave. Please don’t leave, Rhett,” Link begs, sinking to his knees on the floor and holding onto his arm like a lifeline as he tries to breathe. “Tell me you didn’t mean it. Tell me you aren’t going to Stanford. Please!” Link says, voice rising with his agony. 

Rhett looks up from his hands, but he doesn’t look at Link, instead staring at the wall and trying to make himself get up. “Rhett!” Link says through his cries, slapping and pulling on his arm, “Rhett, I was just confused, I didn’t mean it! I love you like a brother, please, I was just kidding.”

A small part of the taller boy cringes at that, realizing that somehow it would hurt even more if it had been a joke. He swallows down the responses fighting for his attention, fists clenching and unclenching. 

“Why won’t you answer me?” Link questions, desperate face upturned. Rhett still doesn’t look at him, but he can easily picture those blue eyes reddened and full of tears, pink lips trembling. That dark head of hair falls forward, resting against his hands where they’re braced on Rhett’s arm. “Please don’t be like this, Rhett, we can get past this. I’ll- I’ll fix myself, it’ll be okay.” 

His words are strained and raw, heavier cries now replaced by a constant stream of tears and an attempt at even breathing. Link’s tears drip onto his arm and each one feels like it’s burning Rhett’s skin. He needs to get out of here, but his limbs feel like they’re made of stone. 

“Rhett please,” he breathes, voice hitching painfully, “I wasn’t serious, I didn’t know what I was saying. You didn’t know what you were saying. Please don’t leave me.”

The taller boy stands up and Link doesn’t fight him, slumping into a heap on the floor, fresh sobs assaulting his lungs. “Please talk to me, Rhett please!” he begs, dragging a hand under his nose and trying to lift himself up with the other. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry, okay? Please!”

Rhett shuts his eyes and takes one step and then another. Each foot closer to the front door is harder but he reaches the front porch. He leaves Link weeping on the floor and gets in his car on autopilot. His best friend’s pain echos around in his mind, slowly but surely seeping into his veins. Every mile he drives away from Link feels like taking a knife to his heartstrings. 

He knows he deserves the pain for what he’s done. He doesn’t turn around.


	2. Part 2

Not a day goes by that Rhett hasn’t thought about him. Not a single day in five years. Today he’s desperate to reach the culmination of that, having gone through friends of friends to find out Link’s address and what time he might be home. He doesn’t really have a plan for what he’ll do if the man isn’t home, but it’s likely that would stop him from ever reaching out again. 

He stands in front of the door long enough that if Link has moved around inside his house at all he would have seen Rhett’s car. That means no backing out without eternal shame, though Rhett figures he already has enough of that for a lifetime. Without thinking about it a second more, he raises his hand and knocks. 

The few moments that he waits are more like centuries. Though it hasn’t been that long, he’s about to high-tail it down the driveway when the front door opens and the man he’s thought about almost every single day of his life is standing in front of him. He’s so much more beautiful than Rhett remembers and that makes his stomach do somersaults. Bright blue eyes bore into him, questioning without words why he’s here. His expression shows no pain, but Rhett easily senses the thick wall shutting him out. It would make sense for the pain to be behind it. 

“What can I do for you, Rhett?” he asks casually, leaning against the door frame and offering a simple smile. 

The sobs of this same man the last time Rhett saw him echo in his ears. “I was hoping you’d give me a chance to talk with you,” he says, cursing the waver in his voice. 

Link checks his watch. “Sure, come on in. Something to drink?” he asks as they walk into a cozy living room. 

“I’m fine, thank you,” Rhett replies, formalities stifling. He can hear Link in the kitchen, giving him flashbacks to their last meeting. He finds himself subtly looking for clues about Link’s life now. Most pressingly, he wonders about a partner. 

Link returns and settles himself gracefully in a chair across from Rhett, taking a drink of water and looking expectantly at his guest. 

Rhett sighs, running his fingers through his beard, “I’m sorry, I would make an effort at small talk, but I don’t want to waste your time.” 

Nodding, Link puts down his water. He takes a centering breath, “I don’t know why you’re in LA, Rhett. I’d like to hear you out, but I’ll go ahead and say my guess is you’re in the city for something or other and know I live here now. I respect you for seeking to make amends. I must admit it's bizarre to suddenly have you in my house.” 

This polite, professional version of Link is making Rhett feel like he can’t breathe. “I actually just moved to LA,” he says. He decides not to mention that it was mainly Link that pulled him here. “I came here today to ask for forgiveness. That’s all I should ask from you. But if you can afford me your forgiveness, I might also ask for your friendship or even more than that.”

“Oh?” Link asks, brow furrowing. 

“I’m so sorry for what I did, Link. This is not an excuse, but an explanation: I was a repressed teenage boy who didn’t know what he was feeling towards his best friend, he just knew he’d been told all his life it was wrong. Unfortunately, my only solution was to get away from all of it. I didn’t face my own sexuality until two years ago. But I’ve thought about you every single day since I left you.” Tears slide down Rhett’s cheeks into his beard and he clasps his hands tightly in his lap. 

Link tilts his head to the side, “Thinking about a guy every day should have tipped you off on the sexuality bit.” Rhett laughs through his tears and wipes his face. “I knew it was something like that,” Link says more seriously and quietly, “Doesn’t change how badly you hurt me.” 

“I know, Link, I’m so, so sorry,” Rhett says with a gasp, “If you could ever forgive me, I would be so grateful.” 

Link smiles and a single tear rolls down his cheek, “If you’re still anything like the Rhett I knew, I know how hard it is for you to admit you’re wrong and apologize. I forgive you. I forgave you a long time ago.” 

“Thank you,” Rhett whispers as his tears come too hot for him to stop them. He curls in on himself and tries to dry his eyes, but then a weight fills up the space next to him and an arm falls around his shoulders. All that does is make him cry harder. 

“I love you, Link,” he confesses shakily, “I did then and I still do. I’m sorry I was so stupid.” 

Link leans his head on Rhett’s shoulder, “Do you want to try again?”

“God, yes,” Rhett sighs, sinking into Link’s side. 

Link turns those blue eyes on him and kisses his cheek, “You won’t leave me again, will you?”

Rhett shakes his head, “I will never leave you again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was only their initial conversation, obviously irl it would take a massive amount of forgiveness and intentional communication to come back from something like this.

**Author's Note:**

> harper44 on tumblr, there are more sunshine and rainbows over there than there are in this fic.


End file.
